This February 12th, Bluelight turns "black" for a 17th year.

Seventeen years ago today, Bluelight lost a dear a friend. Few of our current members will remember Ryan Haight, AKA "Quicksilver." Ryan was an extraordinary young man by all counts. An honors student with an intellectual curiosity about the world and, perhaps most memorably, Ryan was a wonderful person and friend. Ryan was found dead the morning of February 12th from an overdose of prescription pain medication.

Quicksilver's death was not the first loss this community has suffered, nor was it our last. Back in 2001, the phrase "Opiate Epidemic" had not yet entered the lexicon of mainstream America. Indeed, in the same year the Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization responsible for accrediting hospitals, began promoting the now infamous 0-10 pain scale. In 2001 the Joint Commission and Purdue (The makers of Oxycontin) also collaborated on a guide for doctors and patients that claimed, ?There is no evidence that addiction is a significant issue when persons are given opioids for pain control.?

Fast forward to 2016 and 64,000 Americans died as a result of an opioid overdose -- a 20% increase from the year previous and more than all US military casualties in the Vietnam and Iraq wars combined. Preliminary reports show the 2017 death toll having grown larger still.

Bluelight is committed to reducing the harm associated with opiates and all other substances by educating the individual. To this end, we provide a venue for open and honest discussion and provide resources for those in recovery or seeking help. We have established February 12th as "Black Bluelight Day," a time to remember all those we have lost and reaffirm our core mission of harm reduction.

On behalf of our staff and our worldwide community, we ask that you take a moment to reflect on what drug-related harm reduction means and how we can together further the health, safety and well being of those who visit our forums. I know I speak for our leadership when I say that we welcome your feedback and the opportunity to listen to the opinions and suggestions of our community.

We also welcome you to visit the Bluelight Shrine, where you may pay your respects to those we've lost:

That the euphoria can be increased and the toxicity decreased is no secret to medicinal chemistry. The problem is, you cannot push a design for it's 'safety in overdose' given that officially, opiates aren't legitimately used for mental as well as physical pain.

It's a bummer big time, the "opioid epidemic" is getting worse, what with all the fentanyl analogues masquerading as every type of drug on the street. something I noticed was that a lot of people not strictly "in the know" are advocating for things that are more or less the opposite of harm reduction. Things similar to what they do with paint remover and spirits by adding methanol to them so people wont try to drink them for the ethanol by making the risks of doing so "deadly", Like upping the APAP in painkillers, adding certain formulations of naloxone into oral preparations, basically things that make recreational users very unsafe, and that's supposed to be the deterrent.

I live n a place in the US that was trying to get a supervised injection site installed as well as a needle exchange, since all the fentanyl overdoses and disease transmission here have literally been of epidemic proportions. But after a few days i was hearing people say things like "THEY'RE TRYING TO LEGALIZE HEROIN" and "They're making it so easy to be a junkie they're basically giving them free drugs" so it was basically shot out of the sky instantly. People here act like they actively enjoy hearing about people addicted to drugs being hurt and it makes it so hard for those who needs help.

I survived a fentanyl overdose as well, I was in ICU for a week, had a respirator, heart attack. I should not be here, but I am. I remember when PhreeX kicked it as well, and I didn't know jamshyd passed.

I finally managed to get off most things like a 3 year suboxone prescription, a year long with benzos, but I still screwed around with kratom. I finally kicked *everything* with Iboga. Praise the Lord. Hopefully the US will legalize it again. What else works? Treatment centers have a horrible success rate, but theyre better than nothing I guess.

He was the most neglected, depressed, genius I've ever met. He came to NYC, to live laurel aka tokenname. I told him not to come, was deep in benzo wd. He took a cab to Moriches, Long Island (200 dollar cab ride.) Wasted.
We boozed and bonded, I went out and bought food toiletries etc, I'd wake up and he was shooting junk. I tried to buy as much weed as possible but he was gone before I got to him. Had a habit, and being in NYC, bought cocaine and heroin every time I went to sleep. Left me talking to a schizophrenic jazz musician on the street, busking to score H. That's when his hotel wouldnt let me back in. That's the story. It pains me typing it.

I got kicked out of the hotel, spent a night in Bellevue nuthouse, wrote my address everywhere I could. Turns out she was married. I was bedridden with jaundice. He came off all that shit, hung himself.

So any of you shitstirreres tell me i left him to die? YOU WEREN'T THERE. I found out 3 days later when his sister contacted mine own on facebook. We still speak to this day.

My first OD happened this year from a fentalogue after six years of opiate abuse. I had to be on a respirator for the night. Did i learn? No i overdosed three more times. Us opiate addicts yearn to kill the mental pain and spiritual anguish. At least im off the needle and back on suboxone(was on it for four years).

Bluelight is my safe haven, even if i dont post much. Im so sorry for your loss. I wish this country as a whole would take harm reduction more seriously..we need clean injection site centers and diactyl morphine maintenance.